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Posts categorized "Humane Education"

September 05, 2017

Animal Brigade is one of the programs Michelle Russell oversees as coordinator of volunteers and programs at the Richmond SPCA.

When I first applied for the position of Coordinator of Volunteers and Programs with the Richmond SPCA, I was ecstatic to have the opportunity to recruit individuals dedicated to our mission to provide additional care to the animals in our humane center. I cherished the idea that the lives of these animals would be enriched by my efforts, the efforts of my coworker and our incredible team of volunteers.

Once I began training for this position, however, I discovered that this department would allow for many other unique ways of providing meaningful care, not only in our humane center, but also to those in our community. There are multiple wonderful programs our department oversees, but the one that really struck me was our Animal Brigade.

Animal Brigade is essentially a service-learning opportunity for middle school students who attend fall and/or spring sessions to learn about canine and feline body language, communication, reward-based training techniques, the inner workings of the Richmond SPCA and larger topics in animal welfare. They then put their knowledge to use by volunteering throughout our humane center and completing semester projects to apply their newfound knowledge to real-world situations affecting animals nationwide. Last semester our students made cat toys, learned about animal health, practiced giving vaccinations on oranges, argued for more progressive and extensive legislation to protect companion animals and more. This coming semester, our students will examine a variety of issues relating to animal welfare such as animals in the entertainment industry, animals in captivity, sterilization, climate change and more. Through planning these lessons, engaging with these incredible students, and watching their young minds learn, explore and grow, I realized what drew me to Animal Brigade.

Animal Brigade participants bathe Burt, a dog awaiting adoption at the Richmond SPCA as part of a lesson about grooming.

While our volunteers provide hands-on care to the animals already in our humane center, our Animal Brigade students are learning to advocate for them on a larger scale. They’re beginning to consider at a young age what it means to be good, loving and compassionate to all beings, not just to one another. This program grows individuals who will grow up building upon the knowledge they glean from our classes together, and the input of their fellow students, to be better caregivers to their own companion animals, and to fight for the lives of animals.

If you know of any middle school students with hearts for animals, we would love to have them in our program and to see what their bright minds bring to the table. You can access more information about the program or submit an application on our website. Our fall semester begins on Saturday, September 16.

Michelle Russell is the coordinator of volunteers and programs for the Richmond SPCA. To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.

June 15, 2017

In my work at The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), I am always thinking about leadership and initiative, and what they mean in the life of an organization. The HSUS’s four founders took a big risk in 1954, borrowing off of their life insurance policies to form a new kind of animal protection society, based on their view that a renewal of leadership and initiative was needed in humane work. They sought to create a truly national organization, with a mass membership, that worked on the big picture animal protection issues on which local societies could not afford to focus. At the same time, they sought to build strong partnerships with local societies, working closely to advance local, statewide and national priorities. Lastly, they were pragmatic, determined to drive as much reform as was possible, without compromising their core values. They were interested in progress, not perfection.

By 1963, two of the four original founders of The HSUS had moved on, and its principal leader in thought, Fred Myers, had passed away. Built for the long term, however, the organization continued to grow, to thrive and to extend its mission, with new leaders and new personnel filling the void. They struggled at times, but working in true collaboration with local societies, they secured remarkable early gains, including the passage of the Humane Slaughter Act in 1958 and the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act in 1966, and in subsequent generations, we’ve continued to carry the fight for animals into every quarter.

Wayne Pacelle joins Robin Starr, who is holding Lottie Dula, on the set of Virginia This Morning in 2011 for an interview with Cheryl Miller and Jessica Noll about the publication of his book "The Bond."

The history of the Richmond SPCA is not so different than that of The HSUS; it too has seen its highs and lows, lost good leaders, survived in lean times, but persisted, endured and flourished. Today, we at The HSUS consider it one of our greatest partners in humane work. So much of that has to do with the leadership and initiative of Robin Robertson Starr, who has been a true mainspring of the Richmond SPCA over the last two decades.

It would be difficult to overestimate Robin’s impact on the evolution of the Richmond SPCA and on animal welfare in the communities it serves. She led successful fundraising efforts to build a new headquarters and a new veterinary hospital. She helped to bring the society’s live-release rate to nearly 99 percent. And the Richmond SPCA's animal hospital, humane education programs, pet behavior and retention programs, and shelter transfer program have become the gold standard in animal sheltering, setting a standard for progressive shelter work for communities not just in Virginia but across the country.

During a joint rescue effort in 2009, Richmond SPCA animal care technician Sheon Mallory takes a puppy into her arms who has just arrived on the HSUS Emergency Services transport vehicle.

Richmond SPCA is a good neighbor and partner to sister societies all across the country. Its transfer program, in which animals move from shelters elsewhere in Virginia where they are at risk of euthanasia or unlikely to be adopted, are brought to Richmond for treatment and adoption, a win-win for all parties and producing lifesaving outcomes. Richmond SPCA has also accepted animals rescued by HSUS emergency responders countless times. Dogs rescued from the meat trade in South Korea, saved from hurricanes and tornadoes and other natural disasters, and freed from the fighting ring and the suffocating cruelty of puppy mills have all found loving homes thanks to the joint efforts of The HSUS and Richmond SPCA.

While Robin has done her utmost to strengthen and transform the sheltering work of the society she leads, she has also understood that the needs of animal welfare go far beyond the brick walls of the Richmond SPCA. She has championed animal protection through the legislative process, advocating tirelessly to make animal fighting a felony, to make animal cruelty a felony, to shut down puppy mills in Virginia, to prohibit the sale of dogs in parking lots and on roadsides, to bring an end to the cruel practice of fox penning, and to protect exotic animals being kept as pets and in roadside zoos. In Richmond, she's advanced ordinances to free dogs living their lives at the end of chains and to protect elephants in circuses from the cruelty of the bull-hook. These efforts help to account for the fact that Virginia is ranked fourth in the nation for humane laws and regulations by The HSUS.

Anyone who founds an organization designed to do good in the world does so with the hope and faith that others will come along to nurture and strengthen it, and the Richmond SPCA is no different. More than 125 years ago, concerned citizens in the city came together to establish a new and visionary force, whose existence would bring great benefits to animals and to those who care for and about them. The human lifespan being what it is, none of those good people lived long enough to see what the Richmond SPCA under Robin Starr has become. But I am confident that they would recognize the organization they founded, and find in her a kindred spirit, who has continued to provide the leadership and initiative they intended, and who shows no sign of letting up. It takes no imagination of creativity to acknowledge Robin’s tremendous achievements on the occasion of her twentieth anniversary with the Richmond SPCA, and it’s an honor to have worked so closely with her during so much of that time. She’s a special person, a friend and a compatriot in our shared cause. We are all fortunate to have the benefit of her enlightened leadership and drive.

To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.

April 01, 2016

Every day we're reminded of the wonderful things that social media can do for the animal welfare movement. Sharing photos can help reunite lost cats and dogs with their families, can facilitate the transport of orphaned puppies with little prospect of adoption to the safe haven of a no-kill shelter, and can inspire donations to deliver lifesaving medical care to pets in dire need.

However, April Fool's Day is an appropriate time for a reminder not to trust everything that comes across your news feed. Internet trolls feed on anger and outrage, and sometimes stoking the passions of animal lovers is a fire they start just to watch the world burn. One particular such troll took on the persona of an elderly Richmond woman and created a Facebook account as "Kat Tenna." Public posts from this profile were deliberately inflammatory on a variety of topics, but the ones that began to spread with a viral fever used real photos from news reports of animal cruelty and made blatant, outrageous statements of deliberate acts of cruelty.

Feeding the voracious appetite of the troll, people from all over the country began to flood animal welfare groups, law enforcement agencies and news stations in Richmond with these reports yesterday evening. The Richmond SPCA's Facebook page was bombarded with hundreds of messages, and we responded to each one to explain the hoax and how to report the fake profile to Facebook for removal, which we were notified just before midnight that Facebook had acted upon.

The messages, emails, calls to dispatchers and more all came from a good place. Genuine animal lovers, appalled by what they were seeing reached out from as far away as New Zealand to urge authorities to save a dog they believed was in danger. They were acting on what we've all learned: "If you see something, say something." And if you witness neglect or cruelty first hand, that is absolutely the right way to be programmed, to document and report mistreatment immediately. However, on the internet, a dose of skepticism is warranted and can prevent resources that can be devoted to a real animal or person in danger from being diverted in response to a hoax.

How do you weed out the hoaxes, the cat-fishing and outright scams without ignoring an animal who is potentially in real danger?

Google's reverse image search is an amazing tool. This was the first step in ruling out that the "Kat Tenna" claims were false. Both of the photos she claimed to be of her own dogs could be found online in posts one to five years old that were connected to real news reports.

You can find many other methods, but Google makes it incredibly simple. At images.google.com, upload the photo or provide a link to the image you want to search. The results will show you matches online. We're opting not to show the images shared by Kat Tenna here, but they were connected to a 2015 case in Oklahoma and a 2011 case in the Philippines.

Perhaps someone else has already done the research. Just as you would hopefully search snopes.com if something about a "news" story shared by a distant relative doesn't smell right, there are websites and pages dedicated to debunking hoaxes involving animals. One of those is Animal Abuse Known Hoaxes on Facebook (warning: this page does include screen shots of graphic and disturbing images). If you have other favorites that are reliable, share them in the comments.

No results? It could be a valid threat.Do your best to determine the location of the person and find the appropriate law enforcement agency to investigate animal cruelty in that locality. It can be as easy as plugging the search terms "report animal cruelty, Anytown, USA" into your favorite search engine. In most cases, that is not going to be a private organization such as ours, and social media is not the best avenue for serious or urgent communications such as this.

We are truly grateful to live in a community with so many animal lovers willing to speak up when they suspect an animal has been mistreated. Thanks to all of you for your sincere concern and passion to make the world we live in a better one for animals.

Tabitha Treloar is the director of communications for the Richmond SPCA. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires both your first and last name to be used as your screen name.

March 23, 2016

With only eight days remaining to take advantage of early bird registration fees for the area’s most beloved family- and pet-friendly event – our 14th Annual Dog Jog and 5K Run presented by Holiday Barn Pet Resorts – the time has come for you to sign up if you haven’t already!

You won’t want to miss all the fun we have in store for runners, walkers, cheering family members, pets and children! Join us Saturday, April 16 at our Robins-Starr Humane Center for a sanctioned 5K run administered by Richmond Road Runners, a leisurely 1-mile dog jog for you and your four-legged companion, an awesome vendor fair sponsored by Concours Auto Detailing featuring food trucks, music, inflatables and crafts for kids, activities for dogs, and sponsors and other vendors offering giveaways at their booths and more.

Online registration, sponsored by Massage Envy, is easy!Register simply and securely online. Early bird registration prices are only available for eight more days. Fees increase at Noon on March 31, so be sure to sign up soon. The first 1,000 people to register will receive an event T-shirt and a bag of goodies from our sponsors. We have included some highlights of what's to come in this year's event so you have lots to look forward to between now and April 16:

Fundraising When you register online for the Dog Jog and/or 5K Run, you can create a special fundraising page and solicit donations to support lifesaving programs and services of the Richmond SPCA. If you are unable to attend on April 16 or do not plan on participating in either event, our Cat Nap option is free and allows you to help the pets in our care through participant-led fundraising. Your personal fundraising page makes it easy to ask your friends, family, neighbors and coworkers to donate. By starting early, you can increase your your chances of winning spectacular prizes! We'll be awarding prizes to top team and individual fundraisers as well as top 5K finishers during the Invisible Fence Awards Ceremony around Noon on the day of the event.

Event detailsThe 5K Run is sanctioned and begins at 9:30 a.m. The course, sponsored by OrthoVirginia, is flat and is perfect for elite runners, as well as casual joggers and walkers. Fruit and bottled water, courtesy of Martin’s Food Markets, will await you at the finish. The 1-mile Dog Jog for dogs and their people begins at 11 a.m., and the course, sponsored by Rick Hendrick Chevrolet/Buick/GMC, features fun Instagram photo stops. Our Concours Auto Detailing Vendor Fair is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and features a Pet Wellness Tent sponsored by the Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Center, a Pets Fun Zone sponsored by Conquest Moncure & Dunn where your pet can try his or her paw at agility with one of our expert trainers, a Kids Fun Zone sponsored by Richmond Alarm Company where children can say hello to Waggles, complete crafts or slide down a giant inflatable, as well as a number of food trucks and music.

Free parking, courtesy of the Richmond Flying Squirrels, is available on the day of the event in the Green and Pink Lots located behind The Diamond on the corner of Hermitage Road and Robin Hood Road. If you are participating in either event, please allow yourself a few extra minutes to walk the short distance to our center.

The day promises to provide tons of fun for the whole family – those with two legs and four – so don't miss it. Register today and be a hero to homeless pets!

October 16, 2015

Since 2004, the Richmond SPCA has operated a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program with the purpose of humanely and effectively controlling the region’s feral cat population through spay/neuter and vaccination against rabies. The Richmond SPCA is happy to provide over 1,000 no-cost sterilization surgeries and rabies vaccinations every year for our community’s outdoor cats. In doing so, this program relies heavily on dedicated volunteers to feed, transport and monitor colonies. The Richmond SPCA is committed to supporting feral caretakers in their charitable endeavors associated with TNR and recognizes that communication is key to coordinating care.

With so many members of the community working on the cats’ behalf, the need for a centralized location for caretakers to connect became apparent, and the Richmond VA Feral Cat Network was created. This free group, hosted on Yahoo, has continued to grow both in its membership and effectiveness. The volunteer group administrator, who anonymously donates her time to this cause, proudly describes the online forum as, “more than just an online group consisting of those with a common interest. We share a mission (CATS - compassion/action/teaching/sharing) as well as values in promoting the humane treatment and non-lethal control of feral and free-roaming cats.” This group allows feral cat caregivers to sign up for veterinary appointments at the Richmond SPCA and to share unused appointments among themselves, as well as coordinate community efforts.

This unique online group is more than just for those interested in helping feral cats. It also acts as a platform for education about community cats. The Richmond VA Feral Cat Network is a resource for those that are elderly, disabled and/or with limited resources. The group administrator says that helping those populations is the most rewarding part of her volunteer role. When asked to describe her most memorable experience, she recalled an individual helping a senior citizen about four years ago. She says, “He had been feeding for about a decade at a local business. These cats had no veterinary care and over the years, untold numbers of young kittens disappeared into the dense wooded area adjacent to the business parking lot. A Richmond VA Feral Cats volunteer determined that the location was within two blocks of her managed feral colony and volunteered to assist. More than a dozen cats were trapped and provided with no-cost spay and neuter, de-worming, and rabies vaccinations at the Richmond SPCA Clinic for Compassionate Care. Additionally, the volunteer purchased low-cost distemper vaccinations for each of the cats and offered to assist the caretaker with twice weekly feedings which she performed for three years.”

Stories like this one, as well as countless others, are why we celebrate National Feral Cat Day at the Richmond SPCA. The motto “every life is precious” is upheld through the daily actions of volunteer trappers and community members who dedicate themselves to this cause. We want to show our appreciation for them and the countless hours they spend educating the public, helping both people and cats in need, managing colonies and transporting cats for TNR. From the bottom of our hearts, we say thank you!

September 15, 2015

The weather is becoming refreshingly cooler, and it’s the perfect time for your playful pet to enjoy the great outdoors! However, the heavenly early autumn weather also means big nasty storms in the late afternoons and… dreaded hurricane season is upon us.

I have a 14-year-old whippet mix who I adopted from the Richmond SPCA at 8 weeks old. I’ve had her all her life, and in her golden years she’s become very anxious when storms occur. She gets restless, pants and tries her best to get into small enclosed spaces away from the roars of thunder. These days I try my best to do all I can to prepare her for storms.

Trinity was adopted from the Richmond SPCA in 2001.

Even if your pet isn’t afraid of storms, most of these tips are important for all pet owners. With the increased inclement weather this time of year it’s essential to ensure your pet’s safety and comfort.

ID tag: In addition to a sturdy collar that’s properly fitted, pets should have an identification tag engraved with important contact information such as your address and multiple phone numbers. Studies have shown that ID tagging pets is an effective method to increase the likelihood they will be returned home if lost or during a disaster.

Thundershirt: Over 80 percent of individuals who have tried Thundershirts on their anxious pets have witnessed positive results. The shirt provides gentle, comfortable pressure, similar to swaddling a baby.

Pet crate: Dogs naturally like small, safe, well-defined spaces. If your pet is at all like my whippet mix, then she will appreciate a place to hide when lightning strikes. Through proper crate training, your dog will come to think of her crate as a comforting den. The Richmond SPCA training staff has a helpful crate training guide which can be found here.

KONGs or other interactive toys: Give your pup something to distract her from the scary sounds happening outside. Fill a KONG or other toy with peanut butter or something super yummy that might divert her attention from a storm.

The Richmond SPCA Gift Shop is having a fantastic sale now through Sept. 30 on pet ID tags (discount applied automatically when added to your cart online or at the register in-store). Make time today to look at your pets’ collar and ID tags. Is the collar secure? Is the information clearly legible, or has it gotten worn with time? Have you moved or changed your phone number since their tags were made? Take this opportunity to make updates that could be vital to a safe reunion with your pet.

It’s the Richmond SPCA Gift Shop’s top priority to make sure pets and their guardians have a safe and enjoyable autumn season!

As always, all proceeds from sales benefit the orphaned pets in the care of the Richmond SPCA.

Thanks for your support!

Abby Waller is the manager of retail and procurement at the Richmond SPCA. To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before submitting a comment, please review our commenting guidelines.

Why do dogs bite? Is it because they are mean? Absolutely not! Dogs get irritated just as easily as people. I may raise my voice at someone because I’m having a bad day, but that doesn’t mean that I am generally a mean person. Here are some common reasons why a dog might bite:

The dog is protecting something; this could be food, a toy, or even their space.

The dog has been startled or frightened by something.

The dog is having a bad day and has no patience for people, especially a small child.

The dog might be sick or injured.

You or your child are playing with the dog and it gets overly excited.

The dog might be a herding breed and is simply doing a job, herding you or your child by nipping at your heels.

Remember when 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. used to be “Happy Hour” (pre-children)? This is now the most hectic time of a day in a typical household with children. Parents are tired, children are fighting or fussy, someone is trying to make dinner, the kids are chasing each other around the house, etc. Even if you don’t have children yet, this can be a time of day when you come home from work and perhaps have a headache or you are in a grumpy mood. This is a hectic time of day for anyone in the family…including the family dog!

I always tell children (and any adults that are present) that dogs have good days and bad days, just like us. The only difference is that dogs cannot use words to tell us when they need to be left alone. This is why their body language is so important.

There is a lot of information available to us regarding dog body language and behavior. You can start by watching one of our favorite videos:

This video is intended to first be watched by the adult and then watched by the adult and child together. Just remember: loose and relaxed is good; tense and stiff means you should give your dog some space. Dogs truly aren’t that different from us! We can easily read a person’s body language to tell if they are feeling good or if they are feeling stressed; apply this knowledge to a dog and you most likely will be able to determine how your dog is feeling.

Interested in more information? Attend one of our free dog body language and behavior sessions with your family (children included!) taught by Sarah Babcock, Chief of Education and Training at the Richmond SPCA on Wednesday, June 10 at 11 a.m. or 6 p.m.

With all of the information available to us on a regular basis regarding dog bite safety and dog body language, how do we then take this information and teach it to children?

Simplify it! While there is a lot of information, we can easily break it down in a way that can be easily understood by children. For example, we know that when dogs growl they are warning you that your behavior is making them uncomfortable. To explain this to a child, you could say that a growl is a “no!” or a “leave me alone!” Your child might be too young to understand exactly how to read a dog’s body language, but if you simplify the warning signs and teach those to your child then you will likely decrease the likelihood of biting.

Make it relatable! I have never met a child who is completely happy when another child takes a toy away in mid-play. This scenario typically ends in tears and yelling. Use this situation to explain to children why they should never take a toy away from a dog!

I frequently use this method when speaking to preschool and elementary aged children about the importance of asking the guardian before petting a dog that they don’t know. One of my “go to” questions is “How would you feel if you were walking down the street with your mom and a random stranger walked up to you and put her hand on your head?” Since we typically teach children that they shouldn’t interact with strangers they almost always answer negatively, explaining that they would be scared. I ask them to tell me what they would do if this happened to them. Many of the kids say that they would yell, run away, call for help, tell the person to stop touching them, etc. These are great answers! I then follow up with this: “How do you think dogs feel when strangers walk up to them and starts to pet them without asking?” Now they are relating it to their own feelings – they will usually say that the dog might be scared, too. Then I ask: “How do dogs ask for help if they can’t use words? How do they tell you to go away if they can’t talk?” They will explain that dogs will growl, try to walk away, show their teeth, and maybe even bite.

The big question then becomes: “So, if you are a stranger and you walk up to pet a dog without asking first and the dog gets scared and tries to bite you, whose fault is it?” I would say 90 percent of the time you can actually see the facts clicking as the kids think about the answer to this. Almost always the kids will say that it is their own fault. This is the “Ah ha!” moment that I love to see.

Use fun pictures and posters! Sometimes pictures really are worth a thousand words. There are so many fun infographics available for download (and for free!) on the internet. Many of these are geared toward children and use images and a small amount of text to explain how we should behave around pets. I have included a few of my favorites into this blog post, but there are others out there! Find a few that your kids might like, print them out, read over them with your kids, and then hang them up where they will be seen on a regular basis! There are also some really great videos available that will help teach kids about how to behave around pets.

Please click the thumbnail to visit the websites where each poster is available to download.

Practice makes perfect! Encourage your child to practice appropriate behavior around dogs both around the house and out in public. If you are walking down the street and you see neighbors walking their dog, take your child over and have him ask the guardians if he may pet their dog. If the answer is yes, then remind your child of the rules for petting a new dog (let the dog come up to you, hold your hand out flat for a sniff, and pet the dog slowly under the chin) and let them pet. If the answer is no then use this as a new learning opportunity! Ask the dog’s guardian to explain to your child why he can’t pet their dog. Most dog owners will be more than happy to help you teach your child about meeting new dogs.

Set the example! Let’s face it – even adults make mistakes when it comes to practicing good behavior around dogs. Make sure that you are setting a positive example for your kids (or the kids around you). Fight the urge to just reach out and pet that adorable puppy – ask the guardian first!

Kari Hosack is the manager of humane education for the Richmond SPCA. To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.

May 20, 2015

I often see people allowing their children to do things with and to their dogs that just make me cringe. Pulling on them, yanking things away from them, yelling at them, holding and tugging the leash when the child lacks the physical strength and the mature judgment to manage that responsibility, and on and on. And, I also can’t count the times that I have heard someone say with pride “Our dog is so great he will let our kids ride him and pull his ears and just do anything to him.” And, I cringe. Why do I cringe? Because I know the number of dogs that get relinquished at animal shelters for having bitten a child when the dogs had provided so many notices that things were being done to them that made them miserable before they finally reacted. These poor dogs have sent out so many warnings and so many pleas for help that went unheeded. Then, when they react to protect themselves from continued harassment in the only way they know how, by biting, their family is horrified and angry. The ultimate penalty for the dog so often is relinquishment to a shelter and the dog becomes homeless. Such a tragedy and such a needless one.

In honor of Dog Bite Prevention Week, I strongly encourage you to watch this great video. It should be watched by every parent of a small child who has a dog in the family. And by every aunt, uncle and grandparent too. It is very well done. The first part of the video has pictures that many people may find heart-warming but that I, and other animal welfare professionals, find very disturbing. It gives the kid’s side of the story of the dog that her family adopted and that she loved. The dogs in the pictures all look pained, frightened, miserable and like they are crying for help. The kids, and only the kids, look like they are having fun. The second part tells the same story through the voice of the dog. The dog was being, unintentionally, innocently but constantly, mistreated by the child. The dog suffered through it for so long and then reacted.

At the Richmond SPCA, we want to see fewer dog bites and more people, including children, living happily and safely with their dogs. We want that because that will result in more dogs having long good lives with the families that love them and fewer being relinquished at shelters for bites that were predictable and preventable. It is important for me to be clear - the answer is not for families with small children to not have dogs or to get rid of their dogs. The answer is for parents to understand how a dog should be treated and to responsibly and clearly teach their children to treat their dog with gentleness and respect. Dogs, like you, do not want to be prodded, poked and pulled. Like you, they do not want to have their food taken away while they are eating it nor their own toys or chews taken away from them. They do not want to be subjected to things that are painful, frightening or uncomfortable. These are lessons that can be taught, and should be taught, to older kids. Kids should know how to read the warning signs and so should their parents and they both should have the good judgment to stop what they are doing to that dog when he is letting them know he is uncomfortable. A child who is too young yet to learn that lesson should be very carefully monitored with the family pet to ensure that the pet is not treated this way.

Dogs are wonderful creatures and we always talk about their unconditional love. But, we must also be reasonable in our expectations of them. And, everyone, parents especially, must know how to recognize the signs in their dog’s behavior that he or she is being pushed before it goes too far. That is why we are offering a great opportunity to learn about the signs in your dog’s look and behavior from Sarah Babcock, our Chief of Education and Training and our community’s foremost authority on dog behavior, and Kari Hosack, our manager of humane education.

On June 10, we are offering two separate family-friendly “Reading Rover” classes, one from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and the second from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Children are welcome to attend. Those 12 and over will be encouraged to join the adult class. Those 11 and under will have their own age-appropriate class and activities in the Children’s Exploratorium.

If you wish to attend, please email Kari Hosack at khosack@richmondspca.org and include the names and ages of attendees and a phone number.

Robin Robertson Starr is the chief executive officer of the Richmond SPCA. To read her biography or that of our other bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires both your first and last name to be used as your screen name.

May 12, 2015

Testimony in support of the ordinance was made by Todd Woodson, Richmond SPCA CEO Robin Starr, HSUS Vice President for Wildlife, Nicole Paquette and HSUS Virginia State Director, Matt Gray.

Richmond City Council voted 8-1 Monday evening in favor of an ordinance to ban the use of bullhooks on elephants. Approval of the anti-cruelty measure earned praise from the Richmond SPCA and The Humane Society of the United States. Patrons of the paper to amend City Code concerning cruelty to animals were Charles Samuels, Chris Hilbert, Parker Agelasto, Ellen Robertson and Reva Trammell.

"We are delighted that Richmond has taken this courageous step to further establish our city as one of progressive thinking about and compassion for animals," said Robin Robertson Starr, chief executive officer of the Richmond SPCA. "By banning bullhooks in Richmond, we help ensure that our children learn about wild animals' in their real habitats and encourage true respect and caring for the magnificent animals that share our planet."

“Richmond has long been a leader in the animal welfare movement and this vote is another illustration of that,” said Matthew Gray, Virginia state director for The Humane Society of the United States. “For too long, elephants in traveling shows have suffered as a consequence frequent striking by handlers wielding the sharp end of a bullhook. The decision by city council to ban the bullhook illustrates the deep compassion this city has for animals of all kinds; we are so grateful to city leaders for their support.”

Bullhook facts:

​The use of bullhooks results in trauma, suffering, and physical injury to elephants. A bullhook can inflict lacerations, puncture wounds and abscesses to an elephant’s sensitive skin, which is rich in nerve endings and susceptible to abrasions.

In March 2015, Ringling Bros. announced it will phase out the use of elephants in its traveling shows by 2018, citing in part a changing public attitude to the use and treatment of elephants in circuses, as well as the growing number of cities and counties across the country that have prohibited the display of elephants or use of bullhooks to train elephants.

Safer and more humane alternatives do exist. Protected contact is an elephant management style based on positive reinforcement, utilizing food treats and praise. It was developed more than 25 years ago and is currently used by sanctuaries and most zoos that house elephants.

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) adopted a new policy in 2014 that prohibits keepers from sharing unrestricted space with elephants and avoids the need for implements like the bullhook. ​

April 17, 2015

There are few things in life that can bring more immediate joy to a person than love from an animal. Bringing delight to the people who need it most is the focus of the Richmond SPCA’s Paws for Health program. Paws for Health is a volunteer-based pet visitation program in which trained volunteers and their own carefully screened pets visit local hospitals, nursing homes and retirement communities.

As we celebrate our volunteers during National Volunteer Appreciation Week, it should be noted that not all of the Richmond SPCA’s volunteers spend their time inside the Robins-Starr Humane Center – some give their time on behalf of the organization by carrying our mission to the community. A special group focuses their attention on how the sunny dispositions of therapy dogs can brighten the days of those going through difficult times.

The Paws for Health program has been in existence for more than a decade and was created by Dr. Kevin Connelly, former Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at MCV, in alliance with the Richmond SPCA. In developing the program he spent a year reviewing research, learning about other pet therapy programs, and creating strict guidelines for safety, health maintenance and risk reduction to exceed hospital standards. In combination with the vibrant volunteer corps of the Richmond SPCA and training services we offer, Paws for Health has thrived.

Our therapy teams are so consistent in their volunteering that they become staples in care facilities. For instance, Brenda Bracheau and her dog, Benny, frequently visit St. Joseph's Little Sisters of the Poor as a part of the Paws for Health program. Residents mark their calendars and await Brenda and Benny’s visits with great enthusiasm. Thanks to training from Brenda, Benny knows exactly how to interact with elderly residents no matter their limitations. Benny greets each resident with a balance of gentleness and enthusiasm, and for that moment, Benny is all that matters. His company never fails to bring up stories of family pets, laughter over his tricks and kisses and something to look forward to in the near future. Some residents even keep dog treats in their rooms just for Benny’s visits.

Besides the joy Paws for Health brings to residents in our community, the program also creates all sorts of connections. To become a part of the Paws for Health program, volunteer handlers and their canines complete a number of requirements including a therapy dog certification, an application process and multiple shadowing visits, allowing both guardian and dog to better understand one another. Once the duo is officially a Paws for Health team and can visit care facilities on their own, an entirely new level of connections begin to form as the volunteer teams interact with residents in the community. With the company of a dog, anxieties over health and life melt away and volunteers and residents become quick friends. Like Brenda and Benny, these volunteer pairs become familiar faces at the facilities they visit, bringing happiness into the lives of those who need it, and embodying the mission of Paws for Health.

For more information about Paws for Health, please visit www.richmondspca.org/pawsforhealth.

Abbey Howarth is the Richmond SPCA's communications specialist. To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.